St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-23
The Colored Weight Pugilists
Meet on an Island in the Min
nesota Near Fl. Smelling,
And the Diamond Gives Notice That
He Has Enough at the End Of
the Thirteenth Round.
Wilson Does All Of the Fighting, Wood
son Showing Unusual Agility
as Sprinter.
Murnane Announces That Paddy Nc.
Donald Wants to Meet Killen Ten
Rounds for $500 a Side.


The meeting in private between Billy
Wilson, of st. Paul, and Harry Wood
son, '"The Black Diamond" of Chicago,
which has been talked of for several
weeks past, occurred yesterday morning
on an island in the Minnesota river.
AS an exhibition of pugilistic science
and ability it was dreary farce, owing
to WOodsOn'S failure to make any show
ing whatever against his opponent,
there being no exhibition on his part of
either pluck or skill, except at sprinting
and ducking. Wilson evidently meant
to do his best, and forced the fight from
start to finish. He was apparently in
good condition, and his conduct alone
saved the affair the appearance of
being a very tame hippodrome. He
seemed confident of winning, and exer
cised good Judgment, although he missed
many blows owing to Woodson's dodg-
ing and ducking tactics.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
The meeting was originally arranged
for the edification of party of st. Paul
and Minneapolis sports, composing a
crib club, who were to raise purse of
$500. Tickets were sold at IS each, and
the preliminarieS were conducted with
so much mysterious secrecy that the
suspicion was aroused that there was to
be mortal combat with meat axes or
bare-knuckle fight to finish at least.
AS result, the entire sporting element
and the police of the two cities were on
the qui vive. Consequently, when
the start was made from
Minneapolis yesterday morning at
2 O'Clock there was a procession of about
fifty carriages with patrol wagon
filed with police, at the rear. The first
stop was made near the short line bridge
at the county division line. 1t being
apparent that the meeting could not
take place in either county without po-
lice interference, tack was taken and
the procession started out in quest Of a
bit of ssno mans land" This proved to
be an island in the Minnesota river,
located in neither Ramsey nor Hennepin
county, which the party reached about
6 o'clock. The ring was arranged
and the principals climbed over
the ropes. When they were told that
the purse raised amounted to only
$3.50 Wo0dson refused to fight, saying he
had expected $500. Three different col
lections were taken up, and $3.50 more
was raised. Woodson, who had left the
ISs
purse would be offered to ''Black
Frank" and the ''Pearl," and at GAO
time was called.
THE LEADING POINTS.
The first round was fair sample Of
what was to come. Wilson took the
initia and lead with left handed
body swing. He next struck for the
face with his right but Woodson ducked
successfully. He made several rushes,
but WOodsOn got away without much
punishment. The second and third
rounds were repetitiOns, two clever
upper cuts from Wilson being the
only features. The fourth was
a walk around, not an effective blow
being struck. The fifth round was
somewhat livelier, Woodson for the first
aggressive. In the sixth Wilson started
in with determined air, and followed
Woodson around the ring, finally land
ing with his right on the neck and Sc
curing the first knock-dOwn. WoOdson
got to his feet inside of ten seconds, and
Wilson went at him with both right and
left for the balance of the round, getting
in some effective blows. The next
round was an easy One-WOodson
lodged and ran, and kept the crowd
laughing by grunting and making faces.
This angered Wilson, and in the eighth
round he began to slug vigorously. His
right caught WoodSon on the neck
again, and he went to the ground. He
stay there. When he was
fairly on his pins Wilson went at
him with both hands. WoodSon, for the
first time, fought back and managed to
stay the round out. Wilson jumped in
at the start of the ninth round and got
in clean knock down with his left
WOodsOn was given at least twenty sec
onds to rise. He again showed signs of
pluck and some hot exchanges followed
In the tenth round little execution was
done, Woodson clinching and avoiding
punishment. In the eleventh Woodson
actually laid down ON the ground, but
got up when he was hOoted, In the
twelfth he laid down again, to the dis
gust of the crowd. AT the opening of
the thirteenth round Wilson seemed de-
and made things lively. His right
caught Woodson on the jugular again,
and this time the Chicago man refused
to get up.
1t was quite evident that he was not
s'out," but as he clearly had no show to
win, and as Wilson had certainly won
the battle twice before, the crowd con-
tented itself with some grumbling, and
the purse was awarded Wilson, who
said: "Gentlemen, didn't come here
to do any of this monkey work, and
have done the best l could" There
were cries of: "You did your part all
right, Billy" and "Good man, Wilson,"
With this the party dispersed. The
crowd numbered about 2G0, being for
the most part composed of business
and clubmen, and was very orderly. The
police might have spared themselves
the trouble of any interference, as the
meeting did not amount to hardly more
than an ordinary exhibition, such as
would be allowed to take place in Il pub
lie hall or gymnasium. Neither man
was punished to any extent, and the
only blood drawn was few drops from
WOOdsOn'S nose in the sixth round.